By Chris McCarthy/ Publisher/Editor
After several years as a high school basketball standout, Colin Edwards is taking his cage skills to the Division I level.
On Monday (May 12), the Westbrook Christian senior signed a scholarship with Troy University.
In his four years as a starter, Edwards helped the Warriors to three Northeast Regional Tournament appearances. Edwards was named to the Class 2A All-State first team as a sophomore, junior and senior and was a three-time winner of The Messenger’s Player of the Year award during that time span.
This past season, the 6’5” forward averaged 18.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks while helping the Warriors go 24-5, win the area championship and make it to the Northeast Regional Tournament finals for the first time in program history.
“Since I first started playing basketball when I was six or seven, it’s always been a dream to play at the D-I level, so all the hard working days at practice and in the weight has finally come to this moment. It’s very special and I’m very grateful for it. God has really blessed me.”
Edwards said that he is leaning towards majoring in education with the intent of being a coach.
“When I visited Troy last summer, I fell in love with the campus right away, from the facilities to the coaches to the teammates to the professors,” he said. “They really emphasize family, and that’s what I’ve grown up with here. That’s what I was looking for in a college program, so I’m really looking forward to going down there and getting started. My mindset right now is just to help the team in any way that I can.”
The Trojans last season went 11-20 as members of the Sun Belt Conference.
“You watch college basketball today, and every team needs a great shooter, especially ones with the size that Colin has,” said Westbrook boys basketball coach Seth Ford. “But [Troy] is also getting a player that can rebound, block shots, handle the ball and play defense. Consistency would be the one word I’d use to describe Colin. You never have to worry about him taking a practice off, and every single day that he steps in the floor, he not only makes himself better but he makes his teammates better.
“As a basketball players, Colin’s the most versatile kid I’ve ever seen, from leading us in scoring and rebounding to being our best three-point shooter to playing point guard for us to playing center for us.
“Anytime that you have someone sign with a Division I school, you know that he’s put in a lot of time and effort to get to that point, and that’s what Colin did. It doesn’t happen by accident.
“We’re so proud of him, and I’m glad I could be a part of it. It’s certainly is a big void we’ll have to fill, but I’m so glad for him to move on to bigger and better things.”